Dont Leave Me Alone
by R-Chan Aka Rwar-Chan XD
Summary: Kazahaya is finding it harder and harder to keep fooling himself over how he feels about Rikuou, and perhaps an 'extra' job to a resort spa might just bring them closer together...
1. Touch

This was my first ever attempt at a three part fic... Which makes me laugh a bit considering my current four part fic (on its fourth and final chapter) reads so much better XD; The three chapters of this were orinally entitled 'Touch'/'Breath'/'Stay', but is still kinda new to me so... I'm still a a tad confused about formatting XDAnyway, warnings or shonen-ai / boxboy and so on... Oh, the next two chaptersgetget a little dark and angsty, but this one starts of as humour and general... GD/LG fun and games... Enjoy!

* * *

Kazahaya looked around.

Empty…

All of it…

He had wanted this for so long, but now he had it… It was just too… empty…

He drifted through the void of his new apartment. It was small, but deceptively wide and spacious. He would have to buy some furniture to fill it up…

Yet he didn't like it this way. He felt too alone.

But… isn't that what he had wanted?

Melancholy, he collapsed in a corner, can of cola held loosely in both hands.

His eyes quivered.

No… he had to live alone… It's what he had to do and, at one point, had wanted to do… But he hadn't thought it would be this empty…

He sighed, closing his eyes.

When he had opened the door to his new bedroom, he had turned, half expecting to see Rikuou watching him with a cold expression as always…. And when he had first opened the front door, tripping on the step, he had muttered, as if by habit, 'baka'…

And he had always thought anything would be better than living with that jerk…

But like this…

No-one to talk to… no-one to hear… no-one to keep him company… no matter how annoying… he was still somebody… but now he was so alone…

His eyes flicked open, suddenly aware of the damp tears cooling his cheeks.

It all just seemed… too empty…

Weakly, he rubbed his eyes dry, pushing himself uselessly to his feet, dragging himself to the kitchen.

There was a knock at the door.

He blinked in surprise, suddenly finding himself going to answer…

Carefully he pulled the door open.

Rikuou stood, face calm, silent, but eyes tainted with a warm emotion Kazahaya longed to remember.

"Rikuou…" he whispered. He was aware that his tears had returned.

"Can I come in?"

"Rikuou…" Kazahaya whispered again, quickly pulling the taller boy against him.

A blissful smile formed on his lips. The warmth, the softness… the comfort of it all…

He brushed his fingers through his companion's dark hair; Rikuou's stronger, more masculine arms slowly embracing him in return.

"Rikuou don't leave… Please…"

"Why?"

"I don't want this… I don't want to be alone like this…" Kazahaya hugged him tighter, "Please Rikuou… Please…"

-

"Please…please…"

"Oi, what're you muttering about?"

"Pl…e…h-huh?" Kazahaya opened his eyes, everything slowly coming into focus. He was still in his room above the drug shop. "bu…heh? What am I doing here?"

The lighter haired boy blinked, sitting up and looking about himself. He was still there… same room… in bed… and Rikuou was standing nearby, an amused smirk on his lips.

"Please please please?" He repeated with some pleasure, "What sort of dream were you having exactly?" P

"I…EH?" Kazahaya went bright red, the events that had unfolded in his head coming flooding back to him. He clutched the bed covers tighter, "Th-that's none of your business!"

"Then why did I hear my name?"

"Huh?"

"You said: 'please Rikuou, please, please, please…" His smirk widened "I've never heard you be so polite… Unless you were begging… Which then makes me want to know even more just what it was you were dreaming."

"WH-WHAT?"

"I feel so violated."

"SHUT UP!"

-

"Ohayo Kudou-kun" Kakei beamed as the lighter haired boy stomped over, "Did you sleep well?"

"Not really."

"Have a bad dream?"

For some reason Kazahaya found himself coming out with "It wasn't that bad…"

He blushed.

"What was it about?"

"I…etoo…it…it was… hard to remember…" he smiled nervously, shrugging.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Yeah, it just… Made me think… About what I want to do…"

"Oh?"

Kazahaya went silent, a pensive look crossing his face. What _did_ he want to do…?

"Ohayo BOY…!"

"WA!" He gasped, leaning away at the brush of warm air against his ear.

Saiga grinned, giving a cheerful wave.

"S…Saiga-san…"

"You're looking energetic today…! Ready to work hard?"

"I…I guess…" Kazahaya beamed nervously, going to stack some of the health drinks from the crates. It was pointless lingering on the same thought for too long… especially since it wasn't something he was especially happy about… It had seemed so warm and perfect in that embrace, but that could have been anyone else, right? It wasn't _because_ it was Rikuou…right?

Kazahaya moaned quietly at the confusion he was presented with.

That was, until Rikuou's sniggering came to his attention.

"Wh…WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT YOU JERK?"

"You." Rikuou answered quite bluntly, that 'pre-tease' glint in his eye, "You come across all innocent and naïve, when really… you've been having little fantasies and creepy dreams…"

"Wha…HEH?" The lighter haired boy went bright red.

"…And hearing my name like that…" Rikuou continued, his dark eyes glaring seductively, "Well… That makes me a little nervous around you now… How do I know you're not just going to pounce on me again?"

"THAT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"Exactly."

Kazahaya felt his heart racing. Rage. That's what he kept telling himself. It was because of the RAGE….

"I MEANT IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOUR DAMN CHOCOLATE CRAVINGS! AND STOP TURNING MY WORDS AGAINST ME!"

"Or you'll what, _Kazahaya_…?"

The last part came out as a lustful whisper.

Kazahaya went redder, beads of sweat staining his face.

Angry… angry… ANGRY…

"YOU-ARE-SUCH-A-PERVERT!"

Silence.

The few customers who were browsing the store turned in surprise, blinking at the two young men.

Rikuou sweat dropped.

"_WHY-ARE-YOU-SO-LOUD_…?" He hissed.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Kazahaya yelled, ignoring any embarrassment he should have felt. "YOU'RE JUST TOO INFURIATING! YOU-"

"O-kay you two!" Came Kakei's cheerfully desperate voice. That out burst really wasn't good for business. "Please could you come to my office?"

The two boys complied, Kazahaya angrily pushing his way past a slightly indignant looking Rikuou.

NOTHING could make his day any worse than it was already…

…Remember our good friend Murphy's law…?

-

"WHAT?"

"I was expecting a better reaction from you, but…"

"How can you make me do such a thing?" Kazahaya wailed.

"Its not THAT bad you baby…" The darker haired boy sighed.

"Yes, would've thought that most people would be rather enthusiastic to accept a free stay in a spa-"

"ITS NOT A MATTER OF WHERE ! IT'S THE FACT YOU'RE MAKING ME STAY WITH _HIM!_"

Rikuou glared. Was he really _THAT_ bad?

"I'm afraid this job will require you both, Kudou-kun…" Kakei sighed, shaking his head with a smile, "I would just send you there for a day if I could, but bookings require a minimum of three days…so…"

"BUT!" The lighter haired boy was still complaining, even though he knew it was useless. He sighed, gritting his teeth. "FINE."

"Good. Now, you had both better go and get packed because the train leaves in 3 hours, and you should get to the hotel at about 10pm… Make sure you catch the bus to the spa bright and early, all right? Goodluck!"

-

"A flower that only blooms once every 3 years on the night of a full moon…" Kazahaya sighed huffily, "I guess if I'll be getting extra pay…"

"Is money all you think about?"

"It is if I'm ever going to get away from _you_…"

Rikuou glared, arms folded.

That glare…

The lighter haired boy blinked, turning to face his suitcase to avoid his blush being seen. "Wh…what?"

"You just seem like the type to get lonely easily…"

"HRMF…You actually sound like you care…"

"Maybe I do." The darker haired boy smiled, closing his eyes.

"Yeah…" Kazahaya murmured, "…right…"

-

Night…

The fact it was raining really didn't help Kazahaya's mood. He and Rikuou hadn't spoken once on the train, and he was tired, and wet, and all he really wanted to do was get some sleep.

The two walked into the hotel's lobby.

"Excuse me?" The lighter haired boy impatiently called the receptionist over, "Do you have a room booked under the names 'Kudou and Himura'?"

"One second please" The young lady cheerfully replied, turning to check the computer.

"I still can't believe Kakei-san is making me share a room with you…." Kazahaya grumbled.

Rikuou closed his eyes, "Would you rather share a bed?"

"AH! N- NO!"

"I'm sorry sir, there appears to be no reservations under those names…"

"WHAT? ARE YOU SURE?"

"Very sure sir. I'm afraid the only room available at this time is a double bedded on the 1st floor… But… um…" The receptionist's gaze shifted from Kazahaya, to Rikuou, then back again. She blushed, "I'm really… very sorry…"

"NO WAY!" Kazahaya yelled, fangs bared.

"Just take the double bedded room." The darker haired boy sighed. He was getting bored.

"THERE'S NO WAY I'LL EVER SHARE A BED WITH YOU!" Kazahaya angrily pushed his way past Rikuou, making his way through a coach load of guests that had just arrived. Today really was one of the worst days EVER… Things absolutely couldn't get ANY worse-

"Are you so ashamed of our love?" came Rikuou's teasing voice.

Kazahaya froze, eyes wide.

All twenty five guests turned to stare at him.

Rikuou simply smirked.

"BASTARD…." The lighter haired boy hissed to himself, face turning bright red. What was he doing? Yelling that in front of all these people? Was he TRYING to make him die from embarrassment?

The darker haired boy turned to the receptionist. "Do you have any other rooms at ALL?"

"Well… um…" The young lady blinked in surprise, "There is one, but there was recently a customer complain from our last guests to stay in it… We prefer not to allow guests to book rooms until any customer complaints concerning them have been rectified …"

"We'll take it I guess…" Rikuou sighed, glancing over his shoulder at the still dumbfounded Kazahaya, "Just as long as it's at a reasonable price."

-

"YOU BASTARD! YOU COMPLETE-AND-UTTER-BASTARD!"

"Shut up already… We got a room didn't we?" The darker haired boy unlocked the door to their room, walking in before setting his bag down at the foot of one of the beds.

Kazahaya clenched a fist before sighing, glancing around the room.

It seemed nice enough… Green themed… twin beds… TWIN beds…

Well… it wasn't _all_ bad…

He collapsed back.

-CLUNK-

"WAAA!" The lighter haired boy wailed as he jerked down. He blinked.

His bed had collapsed beneath him, the legs on one side broken.

"Wha, wha, WHA?" He leaped up, staring at the carnage in disbelief. "BUT? WHAT THE? I DIDN'T DO THAT DID I?"

"I guess that's what the receptionist meant when she said there'd been a customer complaint about this room…"

"WHAT?"

Rikuou pulled off his t-shirt, walking to the bathroom. "There's no point in worrying about it… We have to get up early tomorrow y'know…"

"TEME…"

Kazahaya sighed. Maybe he would feel better after some sleep… On the floor…

_Ngh…_

Irritably, he pulled of his jumper, slinging it on the collapsed bed before reaching to undo his belt-

The door opened, a maid pulling in a trolley load of towels.

"W-WA!" Kazahaya cried out in embarrassment, hurrying to cover himself.

"Oh…! I'm sorry!" The girl laughed, "I didn't know this room was occupied…! Hey, you're the one of the guys that caused the scene earlier, right? On holiday with your boyfriend?"

The lighter haired boy mumbled something incoherently, red in the face.

The girl glanced at the broken bed, an amused smile on her lips.

"Oh my, been busy have we?"

"WHAT? N-NO! HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

"What's all the yelling about?"

Kazahaya gasped, turning slowly to find Rikuou standing at the bathroom door, pulling on a vest top.

"Uh huuuh?" The girl giggled, "You must be close if you're calling each other by your first names…! You don't need to be shy about if y'know, I'm not here to judge…!"

"I'M NOT! WE'RE NOT! I HATE HIM, OK? HE'S A JERK!"

"Don't mind him…" Rikuou smirked, walking over, "He's just in a hurry to get to bed…"

"Yea-WHAT?" Kazahaya roared, turning angrily to the darker haired boy, "_WHAT?_"

"I'll leave you two alone…" The maid smiled, pulling the trolley away, "Goodnight…!" P

"WE'RE NOT! _NOT_!"

The girl giggled one more time before closing the door behind her.

The lighter haired boy glared up at Rikuou.

"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT?" He hissed.

"Do what? I thought you said you were tired?"

"YOU!"

Rikuou turned away, pulling the covers and pillows from the collapsed bed and throwing them on the floor.

"What're you doing now?" Kazahaya mumbled angrily.

"Getting some sleep."

"Huh?" The lighter haired boy blinked, "On the floor?"

"Is there a problem?"

Kazahaya blinked "Ah, n-no…"

"Ok. Goodnight then."

The lighter haired boy watched his companion pull the covers over himself, a melancholy expression glossing over his eyes.

He could be kind when he wanted…

In fact… When he looked past the cold, indifferent glares, teasing insults and embarrassing jokes… Rikuou was a very caring person…

Even when he touched him there was a gentle warmth to it...

A comfort...

"Goodnight…" He murmured, climbing into the undamaged bed.

Maybe living with him…

…Wasn't so bad after all…

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. Breathe

"Oi."

"Nnn…."

"OI, WAKE UP."

"nn-NGH!"

Kazahaya gasped, jumping to attention at the poke to his ribs. He blinked sleepily, trying to catch his bearings… Oh yeah, he was on a bus… and… Had he been asleep?

Rikuou glared.

"We're here."

"You didn't have to poke me…" The lighter haired boy yawned irritably.

They had had to wake up bright and early that morning to catch the bus to the spa, and he hadn't had a particularly good night's sleep.

In fact, he was vaguely aware of Rikuou pouring a glass of cold water over his face to wake him up at about 4am.

"Lets go then…" Rikuou sighed, picking up his bag and walking off with Kazahaya following groggily.

Spa meant he would get to relax… RELAX… he kept telling himself.

It didn't help.

-

"Here are the keys to your room… You'll find a list of activities and treatments available here on your beds as well as the areas they're located and whether they'll need booking in advance. If you need anything please don't hesitate to dial, and I hope you enjoy your stay." The receptionist cheerfully recited.

"Thanks." The darker haired boy took the keys, turning to find Kazahaya glancing around in a state of half-awakeness. He sighed. "Are you coming?"

"Nnn-nn…"

"Come on then. Its room 34."

"Nnn-nn…" Kazahaya dragged himself over, eyes hazy.

He felt like he could fall asleep any second…

"Y'know… you got drool on my shirt."

"Nnn wha…?"

Rikuou pointed to his shoulder. "When you fell asleep on the bus."

"gomeeen…" He murmured, walking dreamily past his companion. Right now he couldn't be bothered to feel any kind of embarrassment.

When they finally reached their room, he staggered in faintly.

"Nice room." Rikuou muttered.

"nnn…"

Infact, it was probably the most luxurious room either one of them had ever set foot in. The walls were painted a serene pale blue; the flowing drapes and curtains hung up by the French windows, which lead out onto the balcony, a translucent shade of aquamarine. Vases of flowers and plants were positioned around various points of the room, like orchids and willow branches… But Kazahaya didn't notice a thing as he collapsed onto the soft silken covers of his bed, burying his face in the feather filled pillows... nothing but the soothing scent of the flowers…

The darker haired boy turned to find his companion already fast asleep.

He smiled.

"Baka."

-

Later…

It was mid afternoon by the time Kazahaya woke up.

Currently he had decided to read through the list of spa treatments…

"Acupuncture? Isn't that where you get needles stuck in you? Hm, okay… how about a lavender and musk back massage?"

"Don't enjoy yourself so much you forget just why we're here…"

"Huh?"

"I've seen you at festivals, I KNOW what you're like when you're enjoying something…" Rikuou smirked.

"Huh. We've got 3 days y'know…" The lighter haired boy sat up on his bed, glaring back. "And this sounds pretty easy, I mean picking flowers? How hard can that be?"

Rikuou sighed, shaking his head, "Famous last words as ever…"

"There's a bar…" Kazahaya stopped himself. Was alcohol really a good idea?

"I didn't know you drink."

"I-I don't…"

The darker haired boy glared, an eyebrow raised.

Kazahaya just knew an insult was coming.

"Dirty thoughts AND an alcoholic?" Rikuou sniggered, turning away, "I'm afraid to be alone with you now…"

"SHUT UP!"

-

Kazahaya closed his eyes, letting out a long, relaxed sigh.

Jacuzzis were nice…

…Especially ones which were scented with white musk and had absolutely no Rikuou anywhere near them….

But… just what was Rikuou doing at that moment though? He had refused all the water-based activities… And the back massages…

Was he just going to sit in their room all day reading the newspaper? Maybe he had gone for a walk or something…

What was with that guy? Being so antisocial… Did he…

Did he want to be alone too…?

Kazahaya blinked. Why was he thinking of _him_ when he had already spent half the week wanting to get away from _him_?

Okay, he would just put him out of his mind.

The lighter haired boy sunk lower into the water, deep in thought.

But really, was all the teasing and cruel humour just a plan to push him away? So he could be alone? Why would he want to be alone?

A small pout formed on Kazahaya's lips as his thoughts continued on in anger.

That jerk was so selfish pushing away anyone who might get close to him…! When they had first met, all it would have taken was a little respect and they could have become good friends! Instead, he had chosen to ruin any kind of friendship they might have had by constantly making him mad!

"THAT JERK!"

Kazahaya blinked, suddenly realising he had said that out loud… at the wrong volume.

He blushed.

Honestly… Did he really want to be alone that much?

After all… It was so empty…

-

Relaxing by the lake was nice too.

The lighter haired boy sipped his non-alcoholic cocktail as he lay underneath one of the trees.

He hadn't relaxed like this in a long time… It felt kind of nostalgic in a way…

The sound of the birds singing, and the babbling river nearby…

The gentle rustling of the leaves above...

The familiarity of it all was causing a melancholy feeling to start to rise up deep within him…

Remembering things like this…

Then a towel landed over his face.

"GAK!" He gasped, fumbling to pull it away. He was faintly aware that someone was sniggering at him. Eventually he succeeded, sitting bolt up right to find Rikuou standing over him with his arms crossed and an overly amused smirk on his face. "OI! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

"You've already slept away half of the day…" The darker haired boy continued to leer, "You keep doing this you'll have to become nocturnal."

Kazahaya pouted, pushing himself to his feet. "HRMF."

"Are we going for dinner now or not?"

"What?"

"The buffet started serving an hour ago. Aren't you hungry?"

The lighter haired boy blinked.

"I… don't feel that hungry…"

Rikuou snorted, "I guess that's what comes with sleeping all the time… You don't loose any weight…"

"wha-HEH? ARE YOU SAYING I'M FAT?" Kazahaya yelled in offence.

"Did I…?" The darker haired boy moved forward, reaching out to slowly run his hand up the cornered Kazahaya's torso. "You've always been so slender… Its one of your better qualities…"

Kazahaya went bright red, his grip around the towel tightening as he suddenly realised he was fully backed up against the tree.

"Rikuou…" he growled, the fear showing through in his voice.

Carefully, Rikuou leaned way, watching his companion amusedly.

Kazahaya stared back.

"Kazahaya."

"Wh-what?"

"Have you ever considered…" Rikuou's dark eyes glared, "… going on a diet?"

"…."

There was a roar, a crash, then stomping so loud you would think a dinosaur was on the rampage.

Rikuou simply stood, the towel half hanging from his head.

He smirked, glancing over his shoulder as Kazahaya stomped off in the direction of the buffet.

"I was joking… Kazahaya…"

-

"I'll have… ano… I… etooo…" The lighter haired boy stood at the bar, choosing (with much hesitation) just what he was going to have to drink. He had been avoiding Rikuou since the DIET remark.

Just who did he think he was anyway?

But dinner had been alright after all since he had made a new friend…

Johji Asamiya. He was a little older at 19 years, but he was still a nice guy to hang out with. He was very tall, well built… in fact, his figure faintly reminded Kazahaya of THAT JERK'S (which was the only name he was willing to give Rikuou at that moment). Johji was also very attractive with his unkempt chestnut hair and warm brown eyes… And he had a great sense of humour, which was in no way directed at HIM (which made a nice change).

"I think I'll have… eto…"

"Why don't you try one of the cocktails?" Johji offered cheerfully from nearby (he had already bought his drink five minutes ago…)

"Which one? (there're so many…)"

"How about the green palm crush?"

Kazahaya blinked. "Is that non-alcoholic?"

"Y'know… I'm not sure…"

"…." The lighter haired boy turned brightly back to the bar-tender, "Okay, I'll have a green palm crush…!"

-

Rikuou was glaring from across the room, sitting on his own in a corner.

That guy…

He couldn't be bothered identifying the bitter emotion that was stirring inside of him… But he new it was there and that was enough.

The stranger in Kazahaya's company continued to talk away cheerfully, the lighter haired boy listening with much interest, then (he had probably made a joke or something… the details weren't especially relevant) both burst out laughing.

Rikuou scowled harder.

-

"So are you here with anyone, or…"

Kazahaya mumbled something incomprehensible before shrugging dismissively. "Physically yes. Mentally… No…"

Johji laughed"I get it! What're they like"

"Cold, insensitive, cruel, humourless… a complete bastard."

"Then I can't blame you for ditching him…"

"eeeyeah…" Kazahaya looked uncertain.

-

Rikuou just knew they were talking about him.

And what was with that guy? Laughing every 5 seconds…

That bitter feeling was starting to make him angry.

-

"No girlfriend? Wow, and you're so good looking I would've thought girls would just throw themselves at you…"

Kazahaya blushed. "Really"

"Yeah…"

" … Asamiya-kun"

"Hm"

"You…" The lighter haired boy looked sheepish"…you don't think I need to go on a diet do you…"

Johji burst out laughing. "Are you joking? You've got a great figure"

"Yeah! Yeah, that's what I always thought, but then Rikuou…"

"Rikuou"

"The jerk."

"Ah."

"Rikuou just tells me, right to my face"

"How long have you known him"

"About… so many months…"

"Oh…"

"Anyway, he just comes out with"

"And you already call him by first name"

"uhhh…yeah… So, earlier he said, straight to my face"

"And you live with him"

"…." Kazahaya blinked"well… kinda…"

Johji smiled thoughtfully. "I see… Hey you want another drink? Same again"

"Oh, yeah, sure… ne, are you sure its non-alcoholic"

"Do you feel drunk"

"I don't know. I've never been drunk before…"

The smile on Johji's face sharpened. This kid was really going to be easy…

-

The bitter anger inside Rikuou had started to sharpen somewhat… His eyes were tainted with suspicion at the 'new guy'… Was he trying to show off with all those jokes? And was… was that alcohol he was giving Kazahaya?

By now he was feeling a little spiteful… and…

And how dare that guy try to steal Kazahaya…

The show-off would have to be put in his place…

-

Kazahaya yawned. He was starting to feel a little drowsy…

That was odd… he had felt so refreshed just a moment ago after his nice relaxed day… He was certain he had gotten enough sleep that morning… So what was wrong with him?

"Are you okay?" Johji asked with false concern.

"I feel kinda tired…" the lighter haired boy rubbed his eyes.

"Hey, how about a toast?"

"To what?"

"I don't know… uh…" A cunning smile formed on Johji's lips, "How about simply to have a nice relaxed holiday?"

Kazahaya nodded sleepily. "Yeah, okay then…"

"Cheers!" both chorused, their glasses tinkling together.

Johji held his glass to his lips, watching as the lighter haired boy took another sip from his cocktail… Wow, he'd gotten tipsy faster than he'd thought… It wouldn't be long now before he could really get this holiday started…

He smirked in anticipation, about to take a sip when-

-SMASH-

"WHA?" Johji cried out.

His glass had shattered in his hands, the shards falling to the floor and the drink itself splattering all over him.

Kazahaya looked bewildered. "A-Asamiya-kun? What just happened?"

"I was holding my glass when it just smashed in my hands! I could've gotten cut!"

"Just… smashed?" The lighter haired boy blinked before looked bemused, looking about himself to find Rikuou glaring across the way. "Yeah… JUST SMASHED IN YOUR HANDS… (TEME…)"

He sighed, turning back to find Johji desperately trying to dab out the blue stains on his shirt.

"I'm sorry." He muttered irritably.

"Why?"

"Just… I just am."

"Oi."

"WA!" Kazahaya gasped, quickly turning to find Rikuou standing darkly behind him. "H…How'd you get over here so fast?"

No, never mind… He scowled, whispering harshly, "_And what did you think you were doing? I thought you only use your power in emergencies?_"

"Sorry."

"Huh?"

That had sounded… _sincere…_

"Ah, you must be Himura Rikuou…" Johji smirked, still desperately trying to avoid a stain.

"Yeah, and just who are you?"

Johji held out his hand, "Asamiya Johji. Nice to meet you."

Much to Kazahaya's surprise, Rikuou actually accepted the hand shake (although he didn't quite notice just how hard the one was squeezing the other's hand).

"Hey…" Johji smirked, staring hard at the darker haired boy, "How about a game of pool?"

"Sure…" Rikuou smirked, returning the glare, "Why not?"

Kazahaya blinked. He was sure he had just seen a bolt of lightning crackle between the two…

-

Half an hour later…

A huge crowd had accumulated around the 'battle'.

The first game was over with Rikuou as the winner.

And… so was the second… but that time Johji had come out triumphant.

So as a compromise, the last game was being played on the basis of 'winner takes all'…

…But… no-one save for the two rivals had any idea just what 'all' was…

Kazahaya blinked. He had never seen Rikuou so competitive before… It made him feel kinda impressed.

"Wow, that must be some girl their fighting over…!"

"Yeah, she must be a real cutie!"

"You think their fighting over a girl?"

"What else could make two guys get so competitive?"

"A girl?" Kazahaya blinked again at the crowd's comments. Was this really all over a girl? Who? What girl? When did Rikuou meet a girl?

He started to get restless. Why would Rikuou get so competitive over a girl when he had failed to form any kind of good-natured relationship with him? That sucked! What was wrong with him? Why wasn't he fighting over HIM!

Johji missed, the crowd sighing either in disappointment (Those who had wanted Johji to win), relief (Those who had wanted Rikuou to win… am I right in thinking anyone who's reading this fic comes under this category?), or… just in general (other people want to use the pool table y'know)…

The darker haired boy smirked, going for his shot… If he potted this… he would be the winner…

…Aim… focus…

"RIKUOU YOU JERK!"

Everyone went silent, turning to find Kazahaya stomping angrily away.

Rikuou glared, turned back to the game to quickly pot the ball... Then turned to scowl at Johji.

"I win."

-

The darker haired boy opened the door to the darkened room to find Kazahaya laid on his bed, back to him.

He sighed, closing the door behind him. "What was all that about just now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Okay, I didn't do anything and you call me a jerk? That's a little unfair don't you think?"

Silence.

Eventually, Kazahaya sighed. "You're so cold…! Haven't you even thought it might be because you haven't done anything..?"

"Be specific."

The lighter haired boy sat up quickly, pushing himself off the bed to glare up at Rikuou.

"I can't stand you…! Being near you…!" He scowled, the sorrow showing through in his voice, "If you don't want to be alone, what do you want?"

Rikuou just stared calmly.

"…"

"You're such an emotionless bastard! Why don't you ever show your feelings? Is it because you don't have any?" Rikuou's indifferent gaze was making him angrier and angrier by the second, "You don't do you? You don't feel anything at all! You're dead inside! YOU'RE EMPTY!"

He had had enough.

Kazahaya sighed angrily, turning to walk away.

He gasped as Rikuou's hand shot forward, slamming against the wall by his head.

His path had been blocked.

The darker haired boy leaned forward aggressively, Kazahaya backing up against the wall with scowling, quivering eyes... Anger… fear… Confusion… He was beginning to regret what he had said.

"You think you're the only person who feels any emotion? That everyone else is just empty and detached? Unable to feel a thing simply because they choose not to show it?" Rikuou growled quietly, his face barely inches away from his companion's… Kazahaya felt like he was being seduced and reprimanded all at once... Rikuou's warm breath was bathing his face as he continued to stare heatedly… with those eyes… He leant closer, Kazahaya becoming chastened. "Just because you can't see something… doesn't mean its not there, Kazahaya…"

Kazahaya couldn't speak. He was frozen, paralysed by that gaze…

Eventually Rikuou pushed himself away, silently leaving the room.

At the click of the door closing, Kazahaya sucked in his breath, sliding down the wall to the floor with is head lolled back and his eyes closed.

That had been one of the most uncomfortable experiences in all his life…

"I'm sorry…" he murmured.

-

When he had awoken the next day, Rikuou was still gone.

He felt terrible…

What made him say all those things?

He had made everything even worse between them now… There was no way they were ever going to be friends with things this way…

Let alone anything more…

-

Kazahaya was a little nervous about using the sauna.

He wasn't absolutely sure what one was, but of the little snippets of information he had gathered on the matter, he had managed to work out it was basically a room filled with steam.

He was kind of glad it was empty (he was a little embarrassed at having to wear nothing but a towel).

After about 15 minutes or so, he had gotten used to it.

"What am I doing here...?" He sighed.

This job was seeming less and less like a job every day.

The flowers were due to appear tomorrow night… somewhere in the woods…

So just what was the point in sitting here like this…? Relaxing…

Falling asleep…

…

"WAGH!" Kazahaya gasped as someone stood on him. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU!"

"Stop screeching."

"H…heh?"

Rikuou smirked.

It was only after he had identified the stranger that he had noticed… he was wearing jeans and a hooded top? IN A SAUNA?

"Are you mad?" He yelled, jumping to his feet.

"Watch your towel. You don't want it to accidentally fall or anything" The darker haired boy smirked.

"…" Kazahaya relaxed a little, "You're not angry with me anymore?"

"Apparently not."

"Well I…" The lighter haired boy looked down shyly, "I'm sorry anyway… I shouldn't have said what I did…"

"… Kazahaya?"

"What?"

"You're an idiot."

"WHAT?"

Rikuou sniggered.

-

Kazahaya was confused…

For the first time ever… Since they had met…

Both of them were actually spending time together out of _choice_…

They had started out by relaxing outside on the artificial beach, then they had moved on to the yoga class (Kazahaya was convinced he was pro despite Rikuou's constant claims looked like an idiot… and the rest of the class was inclined to agree), then the gym (where Rikuou got the attention of so many girls Kazahaya was starting to get a bitter feeling of his own), then they went to try the aromatherapy, and then the charka session…

He had to admit, it was nice… they were finally getting along and enjoying each other's company for a change…

And Rikuou…

He wasn't sure, but…

He was really starting to like him…

-

That night…

Kazahaya staggered drunkenly into their room laughing, shortly followed by the slightly less inebriated Rikuou.

He had thought briefly that it probably wasn't the best idea for Kazahaya to have challenged him to a drinking contest for the last hour and a half… But… whatever. He was vaguely aware of feeling kind of high…

In all honesty both were completely wasted.

"I told you I can handle alcohol juhst fine!" Kazahaya blinked. Did that just come out slurred? Oh well.

"Whatever you say." Rikuou smirked, watching the lighter haired boy try to keep his balance.

Kazahaya laughed, stumbling in his direction, "I'm _not_ -hic- drunk!"

"So you always stagger around like this?"

"Shut up y-WA!"

-THUD-

The darker haired boy suddenly found himself flat on his back with a sniggering Kazahaya laid on top of him. When did that happen?

"See! See!" the lighter haired boy laughed, pushing him self up onto his elbows, "I'm stronger! So much stronger than YOU…!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, yeah! That's why I'M on top whilst YOU'RE-WAA!"

Kazahaya was briefly aware that Rikuou's arms had slid around his waist… the next thing he knew he was laid flat on _his_ back, with the much heavier Rikuou now on top of _him_.

"Now who's stronger?" Rikuou smirked, leaning face to face.

"Not fair! NOT FAIR!" Kazahaya wailed, struggling. "You're heavier than me! Its not fair to judge strength by weight!"

"Fine. How about an arm wrestling match?"

"FINE! And the loser… uh… the looser…"

"Gives the winner a massage." The darker haired boy pushed himself up, shifting over to the side of one of beds shortly followed by the flustered Kazahaya who sat opposite.

"Okay! Ready?" He grinned, elbow rested on the sheets.

"Whenever you are…"

"Right! Ready…GO!"

It was over in seconds.

"WHAT THE?" Kazahaya blinked, still not certain why the back of his hand was already pressed on the bed sheets. "Wha… huh?"

Rikuou leered, "I win."

"But! BUT! That was so fast! I never had a chance to even struggle!"

"Do you want to try again?"

"YEAH!"

"Fine…" The darker haired boy sighed.

"Ok, 3, 2, 1…GO!" Kazahaya pushed as hard as he could but Rikuou's arm wasn't budging an inch. "NNNGH!"

"Are you satisfied now? I mean, you _are_ struggling…"

"NO…NGH! WAY!" The lighter haired boy whined.

In a flash his arm was flat on the bed exactly like half a minute ago.

He blinked before pouting.

"OK! FINE! YOU WON!"

"Good." Rikuou pushed himself to his feet.

Kazahaya sat sulking.

This was so unfair! How come he had lost? Now he was going to have to give a massage to cold creepy jerk Rikuou!

He huffed, turning to find his companion's shirt sliding down his shoulders and… and those tattoos… Those gothic, tribal tattoos snaking down his taut, muscular back and right arm…

Suddenly the prospect of what was to come seemed a whole lot more appealing…

"Alright…" The darker haired boy laid stomach down on the ground, "I'm ready for my massage _Kazahaya_…"

"HRMF!" Kazahaya rubbed the back of his neck nervously before kneeling over his companion, seating himself on the small of his back. "I hope you appreciate just how embarrassing this is…"

"Of course I do… Why else would I have asked you to do it?"

"Teme…" The lighter haired boy growled, carefully moving his hands to Rikuou's shoulders.

Strange… he had expected his skin to be cold, but… it was warm…

It was at that point he realised he had absolutely no idea how to _do_ a massage…

Oh well, he would just have to make it up…

Slowly, he moved his hands in small circular motions, pressing the tips of his fingers gently into his back.

Ok…ok… that was fine… so far so good… Wow, he must work out a lot…

Ah, no, focus… don't let your thoughts wander…

But he really was athletic… and good-looking… With such nice eyes…

What? No, don't think that…!

His eyes were what got to him the most…! When they glared at him… Stared at him… watched him so seductively…

Dammit…

Why the hell didn't Rikuou want to be with him?

Imagine what the kids would look like… ok, so that was biologically impossible, but they'd be incredibly attractive none the less…

What the hell was he thinking? They were barely friends, let alone lovers!

But he was so attractive and he could be so kind when he wanted… And his eyes…

Those dark, seductive eyes…

Kazahaya's hips had started to move with the rhythm of the massage, bringing some relief from the hot sensation and building frustration his body was becoming consumed with.

He gasped, rolling onto his side.

"What were you getting so excited about" Rikuou smirked down at him.

"I wasn't getting excited…" Kazahaya panted as the darker haired boy's strong hands moved down his slender form. He felt so hot…

"No? Then just what was that digging into my back"

"Shut up…"

Rikuou gave a predator smile before leaning down to press his lips onto Kazahaya's neck.

"What're you doing" The lighter haired boy gasped, shocked at how good it had felt.

"Be quiet…" Rikuou murmured, moving to gently press kisses across his companion's throat and down his chest. He knew this kind of intimacy was well over the line… even for him… But doing it, the sheer passion of it, eliminated any kind of second thought he might have had…

Kazahaya moaned as the darker haired boy 's soft, tender kisses continued against his skin, cooling his hot flesh.

Everything was getting blurry…

"Rikuou…" Kazahaya panted as the pleasure became a warm haze"Rikuou, I…"

Nothing but the haze… a warm darkness…

Rikuou continued to go lower.

"Rikuou…" Kazahaya whispered, pulled under by the darkness"Rikuou, I.…I love you…"

The darker haired boy blinked, leaning up in shock.

"What"

He blinked. Kazahaya had passed out.

"Kazahaya…"

Shaking his head in exasperation, he sighed, raking back the hair from his forehead. He was still warm…Carefully he scooped up the peacefully sleeping form, carrying him over to his bed before gently laying him down onto the silken sheets.

"Idiot…" he murmured, brushing his fingers lightly over his companion's blondish hair before leaning down to gently kiss his forehead. "Don't say things you don't mean…"

-

Kazahaya had thought… maybe he was getting a vision… a flashback again…

But after the darkness… the warm haze… was nothing but black…

He moaned quietly, stirring.

There had been a dream… At least… he thought it had been a dream… He still wasn't too sure on the details…

"You're awake." Came Rikuou's voice.

Rikuou… last night… something… something had happened but…

Kazahaya gasped, sitting bolt up right.

"What happened? Agh…"

Headache…

Nausea …

Had he gotten drunk?

He cringed, holding his head. "What the hell… happened last night?"

"…." Rikuou turned away.

"OI! What did we do? Did we get drunk?"

Had they gotten close?

But…

Oh god, no…

"We…"

The darker haired boy turned staring silently.

"… It doesn't matter."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN IT DOESN'T MATTER? OF COURSE IT MATTERS! WHAT THE HELL DID WE DO? DID YOU TOUCH ME OR WHAT?"

More than touching… he faintly remembered… passion…

He went pale.

No… No, this ruined everything! That wasn't supposed to have happened! He might have said something he didn't mean! He might have done something he didn't mean! He might have… he might have ruined any kind of relationship they might have had with that one stupid night!

Leaping out of bed, he pulled on his trainers, quickly walking to the door.

"Where're you going?" Rikuou asked solemnly.

Kazahaya stopped, his hand rested on the door's handle.

"……" He bowed his head, "Stay away from me…"

"What?"

"I said just stay the hell away from me!"

With that he slammed the door hard behind him.

Rikuou just stared silently.

* * *

**To be Continued...**


	3. Stay

Kazahaya collapsed against the tree, sinking to the ground.

Everything had moved so quickly over the last couple of days… his feelings…

It was too confusing. Too fast.

Just 48 hours ago he was ready to kill Rikuou, so how could he have gotten so close already? And… just what had they done?

He sighed, drawing his knees in and burying his face.

So much for not getting close to anyone… How was he going to live alone now after all this? How was he going to live with Rikuou? They were never going to be friends now… even enemies seemed too close…

"Dammit…"

Why did he have to do something so stupid? He wasn't absolutely certain what that something had been, but still… He was sure it hadn't been good…

-

At lunchtime…

Rikuou glanced over his shoulder, Kazahaya walking gloomily in his direction.

"Kaza-"

"Don't talk to me."

The darker haired boy blinked, watching the other boy walk straight past him to the buffet. What was that all about? Was he still down about last night?

The best thing was usually to just leave him to grumble quietly in a corner somewhere until he had cooled off enough to see sense… But he seemed different than usual… Not angry…

He really should have just left him alone, but for some reason Rikuou found himself walking over.

"What's wrong with you?" He murmured, Kazahaya keeping his back to him.

"I told you to stay away from me. Don't talk to me. I don't want to see you, hear you… Sense you in any way possible ever again, Ok?"

Rikuou smirked, "Melodramatic aren't we?"

"Shut up and get the hell away from me."

"Fine. We're leaving tomorrow. The sun sets at 8pm tonight. We'll get the flowers then."

"Whatever."

The darker haired boy raised an eyebrow before sighing, walking away.

Wow, he didn't yell once…

This was serious…

Kazahaya closed his eyes, exhaling heavily. Everything had changed because of one moment's stupidity. It wasn't like they were that fond of each other anyway, always arguing like that… But he could not help but feel that they had lost something because of it…

He had to find out what they had done…

-

The curtains billowed gently in the dusky breeze, the scent of the room's flowers carried lightly upon it...

Kazahaya crouched down to stare at the floor.

That was where it had happened… wasn't it…?

Whatever it was…

He would be able to find out by touching the soft, whitish carpet…

But…

But then what?

Surely finding out what had happened would make things even more difficult… even more awkward between him and Rikuou… Wasn't it bad enough as it was?

Carefully, he withdrew his hand.

He didn't want that… If he found out what had happened, it would change everything… He didn't want anything more to change between them both…

He didn't want to loose Rikuou like this….

Because of this…

Of course things were going to be awkward… for a while… But they would just have to work through it, right?

Because if they didn't have each other…

Who would they have?

-

The sun had just set, Rikuou waiting outside the woodland.

He hadn't seen Kazahaya since lunchtime and was starting to get a little worried as to the lighter haired boy's whereabouts.

He wasn't certain what had happened either, but even if they had gotten close it couldn't have been that bad… Why should things get so difficult just because of a drunken mistake?

Neither of them had retaliated, right? No one was to blame… so why did he get so upset about it? It wasn't like it had meant anything… had it...?

Kazahaya appeared over the horizon, walking sullenly over to where his companion waited.

"Ok, I'll search this side of the path you search-"

"Got it…"

Rikuou blinked.

Looked like he was still down about it…

Never mind. He glared briefly before beginning the search.

Kazahaya sighed, venturing further into the undergrowth.

Getting things back to how they used to be was going to be harder than he had thought… Every time he saw or even heard Rikuou, a sense of despair consumed him from within…

Suddenly he stopped, finding himself in a dark clearing.

How far had he gone?

He was beginning to get a tad nervous about being alone in the dark when he spotted a soft white glow, not too far away, amongst the bushes.

"Huh?" He blinked, wondering cautiously over.

When he got closer he found that the glow was in fact coming from a host of snowdrop like flowers, growing in the shade of the other vegetation…

And the aroma…

It was so sweet and inviting… He couldn't help but lean further forward to smell it…

Sweet… comforting… Relaxing…

It filled his mind as the glow vibrated his senses, the darkness fading and his vision becoming consumed with nothing but the flowers…

Slipping away…

Only the flowers…

Only the scent and soft glow…

Going…

A warm darkness filling his mind…

His mind slowly slipping away…

And then he was gone…

-

The darker haired boy sighed, looking about. Kazahaya had been gone for some time now, and he still hadn't found the flowers.

If something had happened…

No, he was probably just taking his time.

"Idiot…" Rikuou shook his head, proceeding to investigate the vegetation on Kazahaya's side of the path.

If he was taking his time, he was just going to have to help speed things up.

"Oi? OI? Where've you gone" He called, looking about. He had to be around here somewhere… "OI? Where are you, idiot"

Just ahead he spied the lighter haired boy, lying silently on the ground.

What an idiot…

"What, now you're sleeping on the job? At least you actually found the flowers…" Rikuou stalked over, glaring first at the softly glowing flowers, then at the smaller boy's still body. "Oi…" He gently nudged the form with his foot. "OI, wake up will you"

Maybe… he had expected… no, perhaps hoped… somewhere at the back of his mind for his companion to snap at him… wake up immediately and yell, and scream, and… And just be _him_…

Be Kazahaya…

The body remained still.

"Kazahaya?"

Rikuou blinked, crouching down to stare at the motionless form. "Kazahaya? Kaza…KAZAHAYA?"

No response.

The taller boy's face suddenly sharpened in fear, quickly shaking the other boy's shoulder.

"KAZAHAYA, WAKE UP!"

This was getting more than a little worrying. Kazahaya was so still… pale… his lightish locks limp about his face… But worst of all… What caused Rikuou's pounding heart to freeze in his chest…

He wasn't breathing…

-

"KAKEI!" Rikuou yelled desperately into the phone.

"_Ah, Rikuou…! How're things going? Hm? Is… something wrong?_"

"I…Its Kazahaya…"

The darker haired boy turned to stare with fearful eyes at Kazahaya, laid limply on the bed.

CPR had failed…

It was only after finding one of the flowers clasped tightly in the smaller boy's hand that he realised ordinary kinds of revival weren't going to work…

"_I see… Do you think he smelt the flowers?_"

"Maybe… I don't know… What can we do? Is there anyway we can save him?"

"_Did you get the flowers?_"

"Yeah…" Rikuou swallowed hard, apprehension coursing through his veins, "Yeah, I got some… about 3…"

"_Ok then… Rikuou, listen very carefully_," Kakei continued, "_You have to get him back here as soon as possible. There should be a train back to Tokyo in an hour or so… Get the bus to the train station IMMEDIATELY… We don't have much time_…"

"Right…"

"_I'll see you soon. Goodluck ne?_"

He hung up.

Rikuou sighed, slamming the phone down in frustration before turning to Kazahaya.

"… Idiot…" He whispered.

-

It was just gone midnight by the time they got back…

Kazahaya had been taken to their room and was currently laid on his bed with Rikuou standing watch nearby as Kakei investigated the situation…

Eventually he spoke, letting out a long, disappointed sigh.

"Dead…"

"Huh?" Rikuou blinked, eyes widening, "You mean he's actually?"

The shop's owner shook his head sadly. "This wasn't supposed to happen… It wasn't his time."

"What do you mean 'he's dead'? He can't be…"

"He's clearly been poisoned by the flower's pollen… No breathing, no pulse… His lips are even starting to turn blue…"

There was a loud thump as the taller boy slammed his fist into the wall angrily.

"So FIX IT."

"Rikuou, please calm down. Getting worked up like that isn't going to help Kudou-kun at all."

"Is there a way?"

Kakei tilted his head thoughtfully, the light wisps of hair falling over those mysterious eyes. "Yes… But it could be dangerous… And only you can do it…"

"I don't care what the risks are. Just tell me what to do." Rikuou said firmly.

Kakei closed his eyes, smiling pensively. "You really do care about him… Don't you?"

-

After death, a person's spirit remains in their body for at least 10 hours afterwards. It could be seen as a way to allow them to say 'farewell' to that life…

It takes approximately 3 hours for the soul to fully separate and thus enter inexistence… And in that time the soul will wander the path that leads to this… And once they reach inexistence, any chance of re-entering their body will be eliminated…

3 hours to find him…

3 hours to bring him back…

-

Rikuou sat beside Kazahaya's lifeless body, watching him with a melancholy gaze.

"Remember, anymore than 3 hours and you'll be a goner too." Kakei warned from nearby, "Any questions before you get going?"

"Lets just hurry."

"Okay then. The soul usually exits through the left hand so… Take his left hand with your own… Did you inhale the diluted pollen?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now we just have to wait for it to kick in so to speak."

The taller boy closed his eyes.

He wanted this to be over as soon as possible…

And for the darkness to hurry…

Hurry and consume him…

But most of all to hurry and save Kazahaya…

Black…

-

_Shadows…_

_Kazahaya walked slowly down a path…_

_He was in a forest wasn't he? … Why was the sky above black? _

_But he had been here before hadn't he? _

_That place…_

_He had been there before…_

_A soft, soothing voice called to him…_

_Familiar…_

"_Kazahaya…!"_

"_Ah…" The lighter haired boy blinked, looking about himself…_

_That voice…_

_It came again, calling to him… playfully…_

"_Kazahaya, hurry…!"_

"_K…Kei?" He blinked. _

"_Kazahaya…!"_

_The voice was distant…_

_Yet…_

_All around him…_

"_Kei! Wait!" Kazahaya called back, running down the path…_

_Running further into the forest…_

_-_

_Rikuou looked about himself. _

_He was on a path. It only seemed to lead one way… forward. _

_Further into the forest…_

_This place was a forest, wasn't it? The trees and plants were lush and green… Yet the sky above was a sinister black…_

_And the air was cold…_

_He was cold…_

"_Kazahaya?" He called._

_His voice echoed all around him. _

_No good staying in one place…_

_Quickly, without looking back…_

_He ran. _

_-_

"_Kazahaya…!" Came Kei's voice once again. _

_The smaller boy continued his chase, rushing desperately down the path. _

_He wasn't fully aware what was happening… Was this a dream? An illusion? _

"_Kei! Kei, wait!" He called once more. _

"_Faster, Kazahaya! Hurry!" _

"_Kei!" _

-

_Rikuou charged onward. _

_It felt like he had been running for hours… The further he got, the darker his surroundings were getting… The plants around him seemed to be dying, and the sky above was still as black as ever…_

_And where could Kazahaya be? He hadn't had that much of a head start… And there couldn't be much time left now… _

_No more than an hour, if that…_

_Suddenly a young girl's giggling echoed all around him… in his mind…_

"_Rikuou…! Ne, Rikuou come this way!" _

"_Huh?" The taller boy blinked… that voice…_

_The giggling came once again. _

"_Rikuou hurry up!" _

"_Tsu… Tsukiko?" _

"_Come on!" _

_Rikuou paused. _

_It couldn't be her…_

_She…_

"_Rikuou!" _

_The darker haired boy closed his eyes, tensing all over. _

"_Tsukiko…"_

"_Come on Rikuou, hurry! This way!" _

_No…_

_This couldn't be happening…_

_How… How could she…_

_Why now? He had to save Kazahaya! _

_It may have been too late for her, not for him! _

"_Rikuou! You're going to be late…!"_

_He clenched his teeth hard, whispering to the air…_

"_Gomen… Tsukiko…"_

"_Rikuou!" _

_He ran onwards. _

_It couldn't be real… All of this… It just couldn't be…_

_A single tear traced its way down his cheek as his legs carried him desperately forward. _

_He had to save Kazahaya now… Tsukiko…_

"_Gomen…" He whispered…_

_-_

_No more than half an hour left now…_

_-_

"_Kei! KEI!" _

_The young girl's giggling continued to echo around him. _

"_Kei! Where are you?" he yelled, coming to halt. The trees around him were dead and brittle looking, with dark, claw like branches…_

_Why did he feel so at peace here? _

_The young girl stepped out from behind one of the trees, resting her hand on the trunk. _

"_Kazahaya! You came back!" _

_The lighter haired boy blinked. There was a soft glow around her form… And her eyes…_

"_Kei…" he whispered, stepping forward. _

"_Come on, Ni-san!" Kei smiled, holding out her other hand, "lets go…"_

_The lighter haired boy stared with quivering eyes before relaxing, smiling with a nod. _

"_Un…"_

_He slowly reached out to take her hand. _

"_KAZAHAYA!" _

"_Huh?" Kazahaya turned in surprise to find Rikuou…_

_Watching him with those eyes… And… emotion… What was that emotion? _

"_Rikuou? What're you doing here?" _

"_Come on, we have to go!" The taller boy yelled, rushing forward. _

"_But…!" Kazahaya turned back to Kei, still holding out her hand. _

"_Don't go with him Kazahaya! Come here…! Come this way…!"_

"_Kazahaya, if you don't come now, you'll DIE…!"_

"_Di…Die? But…" The smaller boy smiled, "But Kei's here… I can't just-" _

_Rikuou grabbed his hand, pulling him forward angrily so that they were face to face. _

"_You want to die?" He growled. _

"_Ri…Rikuou…"_

_The darker haired boy glared, eyes tainted with sorrow, "You may be okay with leaving me, but… I'm NOT…"_

"_Huh?" _

"_Kazahaya, you CAN'T die… If you die now then everything… EVERYTHING will have been for nothing…" Rikuou's grip tightened, "Kazahaya… please…Don't die…"_

_Kazahaya stared back in shock, eyes quivering hard. _

"_Rikuou… You…"_

"_Come on Kazahaya…!"_

_"Kazahaya…" The taller boy closed his eyes, grip loosening"Do you remember? Christmas eve... when we first met?"_

_The lighter haired boy nodded slowly, a little uncertain"u...un..."_

_"You said didn't you?" Rikuou continued, "That night... you said, 'No matter what...I wont die...'... Right?"_

_"I…"_

_Kei called once more"Please come now Kazahaya!"_

_The smaller boy shut his eyes tight. _

_To die… No, if Rikuou was telling the truth then… Then that couldn't be Kei… She would never let him die… So…_

_He clutched his hands over his face, taking a deep breath. _

"_I can't die…"_

"_Ni-san!" _

_He shook his head, rushing forward. _

"_Rikuou, what do I have to do?" _

"_Come on!" the darker haired boy grabbed his hand, running, "We have to get back!" _

"_UN!" _

_Kazahaya followed, shutting his eyes tight. _

"_Kei…"_

_-_

_The lighter haired boy collapsed weakly to his knees, crying out. _

"_I… I can't run…" He stared up at his companion with fearful eyes, "My legs… they won't work!" _

_Rikuou glared down at him. _

_He still felt alive… Mobile… Yet all that must have been due to the dilute pollen formula he had inhaled… This was more of an outer body experience for him than anything…_

_But Kazahaya…_

_He was dead… His life was supposed to be spent… _

_He was supposed to stay…_

"_I won't leave you here…"_

"_Huh?" Kazahaya gasped as the taller boy scooped him up into his arms, continuing to run desperately onwards, "Rik…Rikuou…?"_

"_We're nearly there, hold on!" _

"……" _The lighter haired boy smiled sleepily, closing his eyes, "Un…"_

-

Kakei stared patiently at his watch.

11 seconds left…

There was a sudden gasp for air as Rikuou's back heaved with the filling of his lungs, the taller boy suddenly leaning up.

"Ah, Rikuou…! How did it go?"

"I…Kazahaya…" He gasped, turning desperately to the smaller boy's motionless body.

He had to have made it…

He just had to!

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1…" The shop's owner became silent.

Rikuou continued to watch expectantly…

The form remained still…

Silent…

Lifeless…

"Kazahaya… KAZAHAYA?" The taller boy yelled, shaking the body roughly, "GET UP!"

Kakei stood silently, walking away quietly with an unreadable expression crossing his calm face…

"Not yet…" he murmured.

Rikuou collapsed back into the chair, one hand tightly clutching his hair.

"IDIOT!"

How could he have given up like that? He'd been so close, and now…

He took a long, shaky breath, tears forming in his eyes…

"Idiot…"

"…Te…me…"

"Huh?" Rikuou blinked, swiftly looking up.

Had he…

His hand… the lighter haired boy's fingers twitched…

"Kaz…Kazahaya…?"

The taller boy scowled hard, eyes still filled with tears before an annoyed smile formed on his lips. "IDIOT…"

"…Te..me…"

-

Kazahaya was asleep for practically all the next day…

But…

Alive…

Rikuou was a little suspicious as to why Kakei hadn't seemed too surprised when he had heard that he was alright…

Not that it mattered…

He decided to get back to work anyway…

-

Night…

Rikuou walked back up to the room.

He hadn't thought that Kazahaya could have been that strong… His face didn't show it, his body was so slender and delicate… Yet his will to keep on living…

He opened the door carefully, looking inside.

"Huh?" He blinked.

Kazahaya's bed… was empty?

-

On the roof…

The lighter haired boy sat watching the stars in reflection, jacket pulled around him.

Rikuou had… had come to save him…

Even after he had died, that guy had continued to protect him…

Risking his own life…

He smiled sadly, hair blowing gently about his face…

He really did care for him… despite everything… All the teasing and insults… he wouldn't leave him to die…

A distance behind him, the darker haired boy stepped up onto the roof, observing the smaller boy briefly before calling.

"Oi! Dinner's done! Move it!"

People sometimes find it hard to express themselves until it really counts… But when all was said and done…

He wasn't such a bad guy…

"Are you deaf? Don't blame me if its gone cold by the time you get down here!"

The lighter haired boy closed his eyes, smile widening.

"Jerk…"

* * *

**Owari .**


End file.
